1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cryostats used for cooling various devices and is particularly useful in the proper cooling of semi-conductor radiation detectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dewar-flask type cryostats have long been used to provide a extremely low and substantially constant temperature through utilization of liquid nitrogen or other substantially inert cryogens contained within the cryostat. Exemplary of such cryostats are the devices shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,892, issued on Aug. 26, 1980 to James B. Stephens wherein an object or device to be cooled is placed exteriorly of the cryostat with the low temperature environment for the experiment package being achieved by a suitable heat conducting structure or cold finger extending into the cryogen within the cryostat itself. However, as is immediately apparent, the orientation of the experiment package of the '892 patent is limited by the cryostat structure that requires insertion of the cold finger into the open neck of the cryostat; it is also apparent that the cryogen must be permitted to continuously evaporate and be vented to the outside atmosphere from the cryostat, thereby determining certain structural features and the orientation of the cryostat itself. Canberra Industries, Inc., assignee of the present invention, has provided cryostats in combination with detectors contained within the desired cold finger, which cryostats are specifically designed for single orientation cryostat usage and with single orientation detector placement. While such arrangements are well known in the art and are shown in Canberra Publication No. B1R3M5, each such cryostat/detector combination has a specific limited orientation of use.